On to Omaha: Mississippi State Bulldogs secure ninth College World Series berth

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Omaha tradition has returned to Mississippi State.
The No. 14-ranked Bulldogs punched their ticket to the College World Series on Monday, defeating Virginia 6-5 to claim the best-of-three NCAA Super Regional series in two games. MSU won Saturday, 11-6.
Monday’s win – in a game that was suspended by rain Sunday night – sends MSU (48-18) to its ninth CWS appearance and first since 2007.
The eight-team affair begins Saturday at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., which has hosted this event since 1950. MSU does not yet know whether it will play Saturday or Sunday.
The Bulldogs will open against either Kansas State or Oregon State. Those teams played late Monday.
“The thing I’m most proud of these guys is they all wanted to be in Omaha, but that’s not their goal,” fifth-year head coach John Cohen said. “Their goal is to try and win the whole thing, and that’s what our goal is. So they don’t see this as being job finished.”
The CWS is a double-elimination event until the best-of-three championship round, which will be played June 24-25. That format adjustment was made in 2003.
MSU hasn’t had great success in Omaha, with a record of 7-16 in its eight previous trips. The best showing was 1985, when State went 2-2 and tied for third place under coach Ron Polk.
brad.locke@journalinc.com